Should Darwin Blanch be playing Rafael Nadal at the Madrid Open?
Rafael Nadal is preparing for what is likely to be his final appearance in front of his Spanish fans at the Madrid Open and the identity of his first round opponent has created a fairy tale story.
At the age of 16, Darwin Blanch will make his clay court debut on the ATP Tour against one of the game’s all-time greats, with a sell-out crowd certain to be in attendance for the match.
Blanch has an impressive record at junior level, winning the USTA U-16 title in August 2022 when he was just 14 and reaching back-to-back semi-finals at the French Open and Wimbledon last summer.
He also helped the US to a third place finish in the the Junior Davis Cup last year and is viewed as one of the shooting stars of the game, with an ITF Junior ranking of No 10.
Yet when the history books of tennis are considered, there cannot have been too many more high-profile ATP Tour clay court debuts than Blanch is about to experience in Madrid, after he was drawn against Nadal in his first senior match.
He may have only got a wildcard into the Madrid Open due to the fact his management company (IMG) own the event, but he should have a good idea of what to expect as he trains with Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy in Spain.
Yet despite his impressive training set-up and huge potential, questions have been asked about the decision to hand Blanch a wildcard into one of the biggest tournaments on the ATP Tour.
He is guaranteed to win €20,360 by playing in the main draw in Madrid and will also collect 10 prized ATP Ranking points, but the free pass Blanch has been given comes at the expense of players who may be better equipped to play at this level of tournament.
Blanch made a reasonably positive impression when he lost 6-4 6-2 against world No 60 Tomas Machac when he was handed a wildcard in the Miami Open last month, with IMG again owning that event.
READ MORE: Who is Darwin Blanch, the 16-year-old US star playing Rafael Nadal in Madrid?
This is a wonderful story for a player of his age and the experience will give Blanch a huge boost in the formative stages of his career, but the cynics will suggest players of this level should not be playing in a marquee ATP tournament without earning the right to be there.
Emma Raducanu is another IMG player who has been given wildcard to play in Miami and now Madrid, but there is every justification for that call given her status as a former Grand Slam champion.
IMG player Jack Draper was also given a wildcard into the Madrid event when he was trying to break through at the top level of the game in 2022 and he justified that ticket by beating Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in the first round.
Yet it seems highly unlikely that a 16-year-old will be competitive in the main draw of a high-level tournament unless he is an exceptional talent and Blanch will get his chance to prove he is just that when he takes on Nadal.
In reality, this appears to be a great draw for the 22-time Grand Slam champion and he will be respectful of a young opponent who will need to pinch himself to appreciate he is playing the ‘King of Clay’ for real and not on his PlayStation.
